Scots crime gang behind 'merciless' torture, gun and drug crime caged for total of 87 years

(L-R, top to bottom) Martyn Fitzsimmons, David Sell, Gerard Docherty, Steven McArdle, Francis Mulligan and Barry O'Neill were six of the nine-strong mob (Image: Daily Record/Getty)

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A crime gang who dealt in drugs, firearms, serious violence and dirty money - including "merciless" torture - have been caged for a total of 87 years.

Branded the "most sophisticated" in Scotland, the nine-strong mob returned to the High Court in Glasgow today after earlier pleading guilty to various charges.

Judge Lord Beckett praised the authorities for their "extraordinary ingenuity, courage and commitment" in catching the gang whose list of crimes included torturing a man over unpaid cocaine debt and a huge arsenal of weapons hidden in a car.

David Sell, 50, was handed the biggest jail-term - 15 years and eight months - for his part in the abduction and torture of a known drug dealer.

Barry O'Neill, 37, was locked up for seven years and four months for cocaine supply.

Guns, ammunition and a grenade were hidden in the back of a Honda car (Image: Crown Office)

Anthony Woods, 44 – described as the “electronics expert” for the mob – got 11 years and one month after he pled guilty to having roles in “serious organised crime”.

Francis Mulligan, 41, was jailed for eight years and 324 days while Michael Bowman, 30, was given seven years for the same charge.

Gerard Docherty, 42, was locked up for 10 years and six months after a shooting at a house in Edinburgh.

Mark Richardson, 30, was hit with an eight year, nine month sentence and Steven McArdle, 33, was jailed for seven years and 100 days after they were each caught with Glock handguns.

Finally, ex-army war veteran Martyn Fitzsimmons, 37, was locked up for 10 and a half years for having a similar weapon as well as ammo and £36,000 of dirty money.

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Stolen high-performance cars - including two £85,000 Audi RS6 motors as well as a £30,000 Volkswagen Golf – were used as “getaway” vehicles.

They also had “distinctive encrypted” mobile phones to communicate as well as fake facial hair and wigs to use as disguises.

The hearing was told the group used “counter surveillance and anti surveillance tactics” including specialist “signal jammers”

A shooting at the home of Robert Kelbie in Ratho, Edinburgh was also investigated by police in September 2016.

The court heard Gerard Docherty “discharged bullets from a firearm” into the conservatory of the cottage.

As Kelbie sat down, he heard “loud cracking sounds”. He then got his mum to press a panic alarm. Docherty was snared after DNA linked him to the scene.

Cash was found hidden inside springs in a work van (Image: Crown Office)

Detectives made a discovery of a massive haul of deadly firearms at a lock-up in Glasgow's Anniesland in early 2017.

They were hidden in a “engineered compartment” of the rear bumper of a Honda CRV car.

The consignment included Glocks, a Beretta, sub machine guns, a grenade and bullets. Steven McArdle was caught with Glock handgun at a house in Wishaw, North Lanarkshire in August 2016.

In January 2017, Mark Richardson was held after a similar weapon was found hidden in a car in Glasgow's Baillieston.

Former soldier turned gun-runner Martyn Fitzsimmons also had a Glock and ammunition as well as hiding £36,000 of dirty money.

The nine face a further hearing this week as lawyers argue whether the gang should each be hit with Serious Crime Prevention Orders. The move is designed to tackle the country's organised criminal gangs.